AI vs Human: Historic air combat simulation redefines aviation

For the first time, an unprecedented encounter has occurred. On Friday, April 19th, Sky Television, while referencing the Agency for Advanced Defense Projects (DARPA), revealed that the United States Army carried out a test where a human-piloted aircraft engaged in a simulated combat with a machine controlled by artificial intelligence (AI).

Two F-16 planes engaged in a simulated confrontation over Edwards Air Force Base in California, United States. The aircraft reached speeds of approximately 2,000 km/h (about 1,243 mph), which is typical for combat scenarios.

Ryan Hefron, DARPA’s ACE program manager, mentioned, "The purpose of the test was to demonstrate we can safely test these AI agents in a safety-critical air combat environment."

The AI-driven plane was a modified version of the F-16, known as the X-26A or VISTA. Notably, a pilot was onboard for safety but did not intervene during the test.

DARPA has kept the outcome of the duel under wraps. Nonetheless, the results have been pronounced to signify a historic shift in aviation and mark a significant leap forward for this technology.

Interestingly, in 2020, during five tests conducted in flight simulators, artificial intelligence triumphed in all simulated combats against human opponents.